Machine for



H. R. NORTHOVER.

MACHINE FOR FILLING THE MAGAZINES OF MACHINE GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25. I917.

W Wrnq fizaaraifor ,zzrzover Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

7 SHEETS-SHEET I WZyR WZQZ6 S S H. R. NORTHOVER.

MACHINE FOR FILLING THE MAGAZINES OF MACHINE GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25'. -l9l 7.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

7 SHE S -SHEET 2.

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gj jfiuezzfar H, R. NORTHOVER.

MACHINE FOR FILLING THE MAGAZINES OF-MACHINE GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25. 1911.

1 ,3 1 37,727 Patented 19, 1919.

SHEET 3.

Marne? H. R. NORTHOVER. MACHINE FOR FILLING THE MAGAZINES OF MACHINE GUNS. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25. I911.

1 3 1 3,727 Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

7SHEETS-SHEET 4- z' -y org/(Query worneyq H. R. NORTHOVER.

MACHINE FOR FILLING THE MAGAZINES OF MACHINE GUNS. APPLICATION HLED JUNE 25.1911.

1 3 1 3,7 27 Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

I SHEETS-SHEET 5.

H. R. NORTHOVER. MACHINE FOR FILLING THE MAGAZINES OF MACHINE GUNS.

APPLICATION FILED JUNE 25,1917.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 6- lllllllll lIIlIlIllIllllllllll l IIH uH I I 7 l H F A I/ IIII a Ill rlll l l H IIHHHH H. R. NORTHOVER. MACHINE FOR FILLING THE MAGAZINES OF MACHINE GUNS.

APLICAT|0N FILED JUNE 25. 19H.

1,3 1 3,727 Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

7 SHEETS-SHEET 7.

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HARRY ROBERT NORTHOVER, OF WINNIPEG, MANITOBA, CANADA,

MACHINE FOR FILLING THE MAGAZINES OF MACHINE-GITNS.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 19, 1919.

Application filed June 25, 1917. Serial No. 176,863.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, HARRY ROBERT NORTH- ovnu, subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Graham avenue, lVinnipeg,'Manitoba, in the Dominion of Canada, gunsmith, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Filling the Magazines of Machine-Guns, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to that type of machines for filling Lewis-gun magazines which embody a magazine-support adapted'to lock the magazinecenter-block in a position wherein the entrance to the groove in the said center registers with the outlet from a cartridge hopper, and manually operated mechanism which alternately feeds a cartridge into the magazine and feeds or rotates the pan of the said magazineto bring the space for the reception of the neXt cartridge into register with the hopper outlet.

A magazinefilling machine of the above mentioned type is described in the specification of British Patent No. 15,220 of 1915. In this, it is proposed to efiect both the feeding of the cartridges into the magazine and the rotary feed of the magazine pan by a conical sprocket toothed roller that is rotatably mounted in a body part which is surmounted by a cartridge-hopper and has the cartridge outlet on its underside; the magazine support being also disposed on the underside of the said body and below the sprocket feed device. In this arrangement, the feed or delivery of the cartridges. from the hopper into the magazine is effected by the sprocket device assisted by gravity or by the weight of the cartridges, while the magazine feed is performed by the sprocket teeth engaging with previously inserted cartridges in the magazine. That is to say, each cartridge, after being inserted into a rim recess and between separator pegs of the magazine, serves as the medium where through the next feed or step-round motion is transmitted to the pan, so that in the event of the sprocket mis-feeding the pan is not rotated and thus blanks in filling are avoided.

In the improved machine whichconstitutes the present invention, the alternating operations of feeding in a cartridge and rotating or feeding round the magazine-pan are effected by independentlyacting devices both driven from a common operating mechanism. The cartridge-feed deviceis positive in action (2?5 e.,,in nojwa'y dependent on the assistance of gravity) and is adapted to thrust or force cartridges sidewise into a magazine that is supported on the machine in a plane perpendicular to the hopper out let, and the pan-feed device operates by directly engaging the pan itself, thus'avoidingthe undesirable use of cartridges as a pan rotating medium, while blanks in filling are rendered impossible by an automatic stop-mechanism which controlsboth the cartridge and pan-feeds and will not allow the pan to be rotated or fed round, except after the cartridge feed has operated to properly introduce a cartridge into the magazine.

In the preferred embodiment of the invention, the positively-acting cartridge-feed device consists of a reciprocating plunger working in a plane at right angles to the plane in which the magazine is supported on the machine, and the magazine feed device consists of a pawl or the like adapted to engage with the recesses that are formed in the periphery of the Lewis magazine to provide engagements for the feed and stop pawls of the gun. .Both the cartridge and pan-feed devices are driven, from the same crank-handle, hand wheel,- or the like, through gearing which is so arranged that the pan-feed pawloperates to give the feed movement to the pan during the return or stroke of the said plunger, the pan-feed pawl makes an idle return motion; the pan being meanwhlle held fast by a steady or stop pawl .idle stroke of the cartridge-feed plunger,

whereas during the working or feeding that also engages the peripheral recesses-of the magazine. 'Thestop mechanism which prevents the occurrence of blanks is directly controlled by the weight of the cartridges in the hopper of the cartridge-feed system, and is adapted to stop theworking of the machine by arresting the cartridgefeed plunger in the event of a cartridge failing to fall, at the correct time, into the path .of the said plunger and into register with the hopper outlet. Further, the invention embodies several other special features as ,heremafter descr1bed and claimed w1th reference to the accompanying draw1ngs,wh1ch render the machine capable ofrapid working and certain in action, and counteract or deal w1th all d1sturb1ng contmgencles that can possibly occur in the mechanical filling of a Lewls magazine.

I In order that the princ1ples on which the imprin ed machine operates may be better ma azine. The magazine-supperting post 6 is located on the front of the said hopper, adjacent to the right hand or bullet end of the cartridge-outlet (Z as shown in Figs. 7 and 13; this disposition of the parts providing for the attachment of the magazine in an upright position on the front of the machine, or in a plane perpendicular to the hopper outlet.

The said hopper (Z is adapted to contain a pile of cartridges, and its horizontal sectional shape (see Fig. 8) is such that the cartridges can only drop into it in one way, i. 6., with their rims or heads to the left; the rear side of its bottom being cut away at d to provide working clearance for the cart ridge feed-plunger, g, and also to admit of observation of the cartridges. To prevent cartridges rolling or dropping through the outlet by gravity, and also to keep. the cartridges properly superimposed, a hinged flap (Z (see Fig. 7) is arranged outside the said outlet, and is influenced by a spring (Z which yields to allow the outward movement of the said flap as the bottom cartridge is thrust out of the hopper. This device prevents double feeding by obviating any possibility of two cartridges fallingside by side in front of the plunger.

Above the left-hand side of the hopper is an upright channel-sectioned guide (Z into which the rim ends of cartridges are-introduced and down which the said cartridges drop, by their own weight, in correct positions into the hopper below. This guide is preferably an integral extension of the detachable upper portion (Z of the hopper.

At the bottom, of the! hopper is a spring d (Fig. 8) which, as each cartridge drops into the path of the cartridge-feed plunger, exerts an endwise thrust against the bullet end thereof and momentarily presses the cartridge to the left, thus holding the same in such a position as will insure the proper engagement of its rim end with a retaining groove of the pan.

The cartridge feed device is positive in its action and functions quite independently of any assistance from gravity or cartridge weight; the same being adapted to thrust or force the horizontally-positioned cartridges sidewise from the hopper into a n'iagazine that is supported in perpendicular relationship to the hopper outlet (F.

In the machine illustrated, the said cartridge-feed device consists of reciprocating plunger {j which is arranged in aliinement with the hopper-outlet and works between suitable guides, in a plane at right angles to that in which the magazine is supported; the said plunger operating, during its outward or working stroke, positively to thrust the lowest cartridge in the hopper (which drops into the path of the said plunger on the latter completing its inward or idle keeps the ribs of the collar stroke) through the hopper-outlet and into the magazine.

The plunger carries, above its front end, an inclined spring tongue (Z (see Fig. 9) which, during the forward or fe ding stroke of the said plunger, lifts all the cartridges in the hopper except the lowest one that is :being transferred to the magazine. This takes the .veight of the other cartridges off the said bottom one at the moment when the latter is being thrust through the out let, whereas during the return stroke of the plunger the lifting spring is withdrawn from under the column and allows the next cartridge to fall into the transferring position in the path of the feed device and in register with the hopper outlet. This lifting of the cartridges by the plunger also keeps them loose or free in the hopper and so helps to avoid ams.

For operating the cartridge-feed plunger and the independently acting magazinefeed device, the machine is provided with a hand-actuated mechanism, comprising a crank f and crank plate 7 which is carried on a spindle f and is linked to the plunger by a connecting rod f while to prevent the machine being damaged by the continued rotation of the operating handle in the event of a jam, or after a magazine has been completely filled, or if the machine is automatically stopped, there is interposed between the spindle and handle, -a spring clutch whose driving element consists of two J-sectioned recesses on the crank-boss f the crank being loose on the spindle) while the driven portion consists of two V-sectioned projections on the collar f at the spindle end; the latter being adapted to engage the recesses of the crank-boss which is constantly under the outward thrust of spring f. Normally this spring f 1n engage ment with the recesses of the handle and enables the crank (when rotated) to drive the spindle and the cartridge and magazine feeds so long as no abnormal resistance is offered to their movement, but if the plun ger 5 should be by any means stopped and the rotation of the handle is continued, the resistance to further rotation of the spindle causes the crank-recesses to disengage and ride over the projections on the spindlecollar, thus permitting the handle to rotate idly and independently of the stationary spindle.

For supporting a magazine on the machine in the positions shown in Figsd, 5 and 6, the base carries a post, 6, which is disposed outward of the bullet side of the hopper outlet (Z its precise disposition being such that its center lies in the same horizontal plane as the bottom edge of the said outlet, as best seen in Fig. 7 The hole in the magazine center block is passed over this post, and the said block is locked thereto, when the magazine is in position, by a key 71: engaging in the keyway in the said center-hole; the said key being so disposed (see Figs. 7 and 13) that it will hold the magazine center block in the exact position shown in Fig. 13 in which the edge 6 of the face opening 6 lies horizontally and in a plane only slightly below the center of the post and the bottom edge of the hopper outlet (5, so that as each successive cartridge is pushed sidewise through the outlet, its bullet end will pass into the center-opening I) and into the contact with the inclined lip 6, ready to be carried into the groove 72 by the rotation of the pan around the stationary center under the action of the magazine-feed device. It is, of course, understood that as each cartridge is passed through the hopper outlet and into the open side of the pan, its base is taken into the internal recess a that is then registering with the outlet, and its rim is engaged with the retaining plates a at the edges of the said recess, while simultaneously the neck of the cartridge is engaged between the corresponding pair of the separator pins, a Thus each cartridge becomes anchored in the rotatable pan while its bullet end engages the grooves in the center-block and is constrained to travel in the grooves during the rotation of the pan and cartridges around the stationary center-block.

The inagazine-feed device is designed to engage directly with the external periphery of the rim of the pan for imparting an intermittent rotation to the said pan by giving the same a step-forward motion, after each insertion of a cartridge, sufficient to bring the next cartridge space into register with the hopper outlet; this rotational movement being in the counter-clockwise direction ('5. e. in the reverse direction to that in which the pan is turned by the feed pawl of a Lewis gun) so that the various internal parts of the magazine will be caused to act in the reverse way to what they do when the pan is operated by the gun and thus they will eifect or assist the proper dispo-sal or arrangement of the cartridges within the pan instead of successively discharging them.

The said magazine-feed device is timed to operate after the insertion of a cartridge and during the return or idle stroke of the cartridge-feed device, and it consists of an oscillating arm, h, fulcrumed to stud k on one side of the base and formed, at the end which projects beyond the front of the hopper, with a pawl, k that engages successively with the shoulders h of the external peripheral depressions a of the pan, while its inner end is slotted at h and is engaged by an eccentric 72. on the operating spindle; the arrangement being such that, after the feedplunger has expelled a cartridge and placed it into its initial position in the magazine, the cam oscillates the leve and pawl which, during the return stroke of the said plunger, imparts a step-round motion of the said pan to bring the latter into position for taking the next cartridge. Having performed this movement, the pan is momentarily held stationary by the stop pawl i, meanwhile the feed-pawl makes an idle upward movement into engagement with the next peripheral depression a and simultaneously the feet.- plunger makes its next working stroke. 7

To admit of the easy placing and removal of the magazine on to and from the support ing post, the feed-pawl is loosely mounted on its pivot stud and is capable of a certain lateral play thereon, but when the various parts are positioned ready for filling a magazine, said feed-pawl is kept in effective contact with the periphery of the pan by the inward lateral thrust of a spring h that is disposed between an elevated side of the base and the feed-lever (see Fig. 8). This spring is, however, itself controlled by the stoppawl i in such a way that when the said stop is in its operative position, it maintains the spring under tension and compels it to exert the necessary lateral pressure for keeping the feed-pawl up to its work, whereas when the stop-pawl is manually shifted clear of the pan preparatory to removing the mag azine, the tension is taken off the spring and the pressure is eased off the feed-pawl, which is then free to play about loosely on its pivot stud. That is to say, the pawl disengages itself from the pan and offers no obstruction to the removal of the magazine from the machine.

The stoppawl spindle, i has its bearing in the side of the base, and carries, at its extreme forward end, a catch arm that is adapted to be turned over the outer edge of the pan, (see Fig. 8) for steadying the latter during its rotary movement, and is combined with a fin ger-piece i by the turning of which in an appropriate direction, both the stoppawl and the pan-catch canbe taken into or out of their effective positions. Fig, 8 shows the positions assumed by the stop-pawl and catch when a magazine is being filled, while the detail views, Figs. 10 and 11, show the positions into which the said parts are shifted prior to the removal of the magazine.

When the machine is operating, the stoppawl is yieldingly held in engagement with the pan periphery by a spring m which bears eccentrically underneath a corner of a hub m of the stop-pawl arm; this arrangement admitting of the pawl yielding outward sufficient to allow of the recessed periphery of the pan viping under its nose each time that the said pan is driven around a step by the magazine feed-pawl.

The stop-pawl hub is adapted to function as a cam for, controlling the feed-pawl spring 72., for which purpose, its edge is formed with two flats m m (best seen in Fig. 10) that are disposed at an angle to one another but at different distances from the center of the pawl spindle. The free end of the spring bears against the pawl hub as shown in Figs. 10 and 11, and the arrangement of the flats is such that, when the stop-pawl is turned outward into its inoperative position, the fiat m nearest the spindle center comes behind the spring and relieves the latter of its tension so that the feed-pawl is free to play laterally as clearly seen in Fig. 11, whereas when the stop-pawl is turned inward, the other flat m of the cam bears on the spring, and (by reason of its greater distance-from the pivot center) presses the spring inward and maintains it in that position, in which it ears effectively against the feed-pawl for keeping the latter up to its engagement with the pan.

To enable the machine to accommodate the magazines of Lewis guns of either the field-service pattern (4-7 rounds) or of the aeroplane type (97-rounds), the catch 2' and the stop-pawl i are adjustably mounted on the frame so that their distance from the face of hopper may be varied to suit the depth of the magazine to be filled, That is to say, the said parts i i are mounted on a sliding rod or spindle 2' (see Fig. 8) and this spindle is formed with two grooves i, with one or other of which, a suitablyapplied retaining spring is adapted to engage, according to the position in which the said spindle is placed. Thus, after the spindle has been drawn out or adjusted to suit the kind of magazine to be 'filled, it is automatically locked and the catch and stoppawl are secured in the right positions until another alteration is necessary. The magazinesupporting post is slidably mounted in the machine and is capable of a corresponding adjustment; the same being provided with a set-screw for locking it in either position.

The automatic stop mechanism embodied.

in this machine is of the kind wherein the stop-feed device is held out of action so long as the machine functions normally and so long as cartridges continue to successively position themselves in the path of the cartridge-feed device, 'but which comes into operation to arrest the working of the said machine in the event of a cartridge or cartridges failing to be so positioned. And this stop mechanism and the means whereby the same is controlled are so constructed,

arranged, and timed to operate that the stop-'f ping of the working can only occuna't one particular point in the cartridge a'nd'pan feeding cycle, viz. at the instant when the pan-feed device has completed the movement that brings an empty space in the magazine into register with the hopper outlet, and the cartridge feed device is about to commence its nextworking or feeding operation. The object of this timing of the stop action is to*insure that, when the said stop device is disengaged to allow the machine to resume working, all the parts are correctly positioned foreifecting' the feed of a cartridge into the said empty space in the magazine.

The stop-mechanism embodied in the pres ent machine is best shown in Fig. 9, of the drawings, and is carried on the underside of a bracket-plate 7' which is supported upon the bedplate c and over which the cartridgefeed plunger 9 reciprocates. It comprises a system of counterweighted levers, viz. a control lever j and a plunger-stop lever 3' and the lever j which in practice consists of a pair of separated but rigidly connected sideplates, and is pivotally hung from a forked bracket attached to the underside of the plate 7' the end farthest from the hopper carrying a counterweight, 3', while its hopper end is furnished with a cartridge contact piece j that is located in the said plate 7' immediately below the open bottom of the hopper. This arrangement provides that as each successive cartridge drops from the hopper into its feed position between the hopper-outlet and the plunger, it rests upon the contact j The plunger-stop lever 7' is located between the side plates of the control lever, and is independently pivoted on a hanger 7' inward of the control-lever bracket. Its rear extremity is loosely pivoted at 3' to the counterweight end of the control lever while its forward part carries a plunger-stop 7' disposed -(as shown in Fig. 9) in another opening 7' that isformed in the bracketplate j", at some distance inward of the cartridge contact i The distance between the centers of the cartridge contact 7' and the plunger-stop j is less than the length of the stroke of the plunger, and the relative dispositions of the parts 9, 7' 9', are such that, during the greater portion of its reciprocation, thesaid plunger is riding either over the contact 7' and the stop j or over the stop only, and this renders it impossible for 7' or 1' 'to be lifted or made'to'project above the top surface of the plate 7' by the action of the counterweight on the two levers, but as the plunger comes to the end of its idle or return stroke, it is quite clear of the plunger-stop, j, with the result that the stop mechanism is freed of the restraint previously exert-ed thereon by the plunger. The movement of the plunger beyond the stop, 9' coincides with the completion of a feed movement of the magazine pan under the action of the pan-feed device, h andprovided that, at this moment, there are cartridges in the hopper vances it rides first over the stop j d then over the contact 7' so that before the cartridge weight is taken off the control lever by the feeding and cartridge lifting action of the parts g, d", the stop mechanism is already under the restraint of the overriding plunger and so cannot possibly 0perate to arrest the working of the machine.

If, however, at the moment when the plunger slides clear of the stop, 9' there is not sutlicient weight of cartridges ready to fall onto the control lever contactand overcome the counterweight, then the said counterweight immediately takes control and by oscillating the levers y't, 'jfl'lifts the stop j into the path of the plunger and also causes the cartridge contactuto project above the surface of the bracket-plate 3' This renders it impossible forthe continued rotation of the driving crank to impart a useless or non-effective forward movement to the plun- 'er, and as the pan-feed. device is geared ,to,

b or worked from the same operating device as the saidplunger, it follows that the locking or arresting of the plunger simultaneously and positively locks the pan-feed deviceand thus preventsany movement being in'iparted to the pan which would result in a blank space in the magazine.

The stop mechanism automatically liberates or releases the cartridge-feed and pan feed devices irnn'iediately a suflicient weight of cartridges falls onto the control levercontact y' -to-overcomezthe counterweight, when the resultant oscillationv of the levers re moves the plunger-stop j from the path of the plungerand leaves the said feed-devices free .to carry on their respective functions on rotation of the operating handle being resumed.

. After an empty magazine has been placed onv the supporting post, and :the operating crank is turned to start the filling action about the first twenty-three rotationsofthe crank cause the said panto turn through one complete rotation and effect the transpositionfrom the machine'intothe magazine of a sufficient number of cartridgesto make up a complete 'layeror annular series of .cartridges in the open nearest the hopper. During the neXt rotation of the pan, thecartridges from tl16;fi1'$t layer have to be transposed or shifted over to the closed side of the pan to make room side of the said pan,

for the remainder of the prescribed number of cart-ridges required to complete the filling. The transposition is effected by the pan, during its counter-clockwise motion around the stationary magazine center bloc-k compelling the bullet ends of the first-inserted series of cartridges to travel out of one center-block groove 6 down the inclined channel into the other groove 6".

To assist this action of the magazine parts, the machine itself is provided with means whereby these cartridges are subjected to pressure as their bullet ends are brought (by the rotation of the pan) into the inclined transposing part If of the center block grooves. For this purpose, there is formed, on the outer face of the hopper, above the cartridge-outlet and in proper relationship to the inclined channel 6 of the stationary center, a curved projection, m which extends a distance into theopen side of the pan, as clearly shown in Figs. 12 and 13. This rib is curved to a radius rather less than that of the pan (see Fig. 13) while its edge m (see Fig. 12) is inclined to a pitch corresponding to the pitch of the transposing incline I); the disposition ofthe said rib in relation to the magazine center-block, (which, as has already been described, is locked on the supporting post in ,the definite position shown in Fig. 13) being such that when the pan has completed about three-quarters of its first rotation the baseends of all the cartridges required for making up the layers at the closed or top side of the said pan are constrain d to successively wipe under or down the edge of this projecting rib at the same time that their-bullet ends are being carried down the inclined transposing channel 7); the result being that the base ends of the said cartridges are compelled to follow the same transposing movement as their bullet ends.

To prevent cartridges dropping out of that part of the open side of the pan which projects beyond the hopper, the side of the latter carries acurved. guard n, which lies around the said portion of the pan (see Figs. 5- and 7) and keeps the bases of the cartridges in engagement with the retaining plates of the magazine.

The upper part of the cartridge guide of thehopper may be so constructed as to admit of loose cartridges being fed singly into the open top thereof, but, in the machine shown in the drawings, the cartridge guide is provided with mechanism for stripping clipped cartridges from their clips into the said guide (down which they proceed by gravity into the hopper) and automatically ejecting the empty clips. This mechanism is of the kind described in the specification of my concurrent application for Letters Patent, Serial N umber 226,668, filed March 24, 1918.

As is best shown in Figs. 4 and 6, the

feed-guide has an aperture 0 cut in its closed side, large enough to provide for the introduction of a clip of cartridges laterally therethrough the opposite sides of the bottom end of this aperture being formed with a pair of suitably-curved abutments 0 on which the bottom corners of the clip take their bearing (see Fig. 4), when the cartridges are being stripped therefrom, while the bearings or the opposite edges of the clip take a bearing against the outside of the guide, on the opposite sides of the aperture 0. Within the upper end of the said feed-guide (2'. c. the part above the aperture 0) there is fitted a spring-influenced catch 0 which primarily functions as a clip-ejector and may normally be so positioned by its spring 0 that it engages with an upper corner of the clip beading during the stripping operation.

Thus, when a clip of cartridges is lntroduced laterally into the aperture and pushed over as far as it will go so that the cartridge heads come above or register with the groove in the said guide, the upper part of a beading on the said clip is engaged bythe lower extremity of the clip ejector.

For mechanically stripping the cartridges from the clip into the part of the guide that leads to the hopper, the top of the said guide is fitted with a depressible plunger 2) that, on being forced down by hand, thrusts the said cartrid es clear of the arrested clip and into the teed-guide, after which the said plunger is restored to its normal position by its spring 29 The clip ejector is provided with an eX tension 0 which comes within the path of the head 10 of the plunger so that, when the said plunger reaches the limit of its downward movement and all the cartridges have een stripped out of the clip, the said head will impinge on the extension 0 of the ejector, and impart to the latter, an angular movementwhich trips the empty clip off its seating in the teed-guide and ejects the same through the aperture 0, the spring of the said catch subsequently returning the same to its normal position to enable anotherclip of cartridges to be introduced.

It is to be understood that the scope of the present invention is not limited to a machine in which the various mechanical and other parts are constructed and arranged precisely as above described,with reference to the drawings. On the contrary, the scope of the invention includes any construction or arrangement of machine for filling Lewis magazines in which a positively-acting cartridge-feed device for thrusting cartridges sidewise from a hopper is operatively combined or associated with a magazine-feed pawl or equivalent device which is adapted to directly engage the magazine pan for intermittently rotating the said pan around its stationary center, while for the purpose of obviating feed blanks or spaces, the cartridge-feed and magazine-feed devices may be controlled by any suitable arrangement of automatic stop mechanism which comes into action to prevent the pan-feed device operating in the event of failure of the cartridge feed.

Having thus described my invention what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is 1. In a machine for filling gun niagazi es of the character described, the combination with a revoluble magazine pan, of means for alternately feeding cartridges sidewise into the magazine, and rotating the pan, said means comprising two independently-acting devices, and a common operating mechanism for driving both of said devices.

In a machine for filling gun magazines, the combination with a hopper having an outlet, and a revoluble magazine pan, said 7 magazine pan being supported in a plane perpendicular to the hopper outlet, of means for rotating the magazine pan, and a cartridge feed device adapted to thrustor force cartridges sidewise from the hopper into the magazine.

3. In a: machine for filling gun magazines of the character described, the combina ,ion with a revolublemagazine pan, of means for alternately feeding cartridges sidewise into the magazine, and rotating the pan, said means comprising two independently-acting devices, and a common operating mechanism for driving both or said devices, said magazine feeding means directly engaging the izigazine pan.

a. In a machine for filling gun magazines of the character described, the combination with a revoluble magazine pan, of means for alternately feeding cartridges sidewise into the magazine, and rotating the pan, said means comprising two independently-acting devices, a common operating mechanism for driving both of said devices, and means for preventing blanks in filling, said lastnamed means comprising an automatic stopmechanism controlling both the cartridgefeed and the rotation of the magazine pan,

and adapted to prevent'the rotation of themagazine pan until the cartridge feed has introduced a cartridge into the magazine.

5. In a machine for filling gun magazines of the character described, the combination with a revoluble magazine pan, of means for alternately feeding cartridges sidewise into the magazine, and rotating the pan, said means coniprising two independently-acting devices, a common operating mechanism for driving both of said devices, and an automatic stop-mechanism controlling both the cartridge-feed and the rotation of the magazine pan, said stop-mechanism being controlled by the cartridge weight ar-o. permitting the machine to function n anally so lon as cartridges continue to position themselves in the path of the cartridge-feed device, and said mechanism adapted to stop the operation of the machine in the event of a cartrid e failing to so position itself.

6. In a machine for filling gun magazines of the character described, the combination with a revoluble magazine pan, of means for alternately feeding cartridges sidewise into the magazine, and rotating the pan, said means comprising two independently-acting devices, acommon operating mechanism for driving both of said devices, and a stoppawl associated with the magazine pan and arranged to di ectly engage the pan and arrest and hold the same during the cartridgeinserting action of the cartridge-feeding means.

7. A magazine filling machine, having a revoluble magazine pan; means for feeding cartridges sidewise into the magazine; alternately operating devices for actuating the pan and the cartridge-feeding means, said pan having external recesses in its rim; a magazine feed device engag 19' said pan; and a stop-pawl engaging the pan and adapted to arrest and hold the same during the cartridge insert-ing action of the cartridge feeding means, said magazine feed device and stop-pawl adapted to directly engage the external recesses of the pan.

8. In a machine for filling gun magazines of the character described, the combination with a revoluble magazine pan, of means for alternately feeding cartridges sidewise into the pan, and rotating the pan, said means comprising two independently-acting devices, a common operating mechanism for driving both of said devices, a hopper having an outlet formed horizontally in its side, said pan being supported in a plane perpendicular to the hopper outlet; and a magazine supporting post located by the side of the bulletend of the outlet of said hopper.

9. In a machine for filling gun magazines of the character described, the combination with a revoluble magazine pan, of means for alternately feeding cartridges sidewise in the magazine, and rotating the pan, two independently-acting devices for rotating the pan and actuating the cartridge feed, a retary crank for operating said devices. and a spring-actuated clutch interposed between the crank and said devices and controlling the latter.

10. In a machine for filling gun magazines of the character described, the combination with a revoluble magazine pan, means for alternately feeding cartridges sidewise into the magazine and rotating the pan, said means comprising two independently-acting devices and a common operating mechanism for driving both of said devices, a hopper having an outlet adapted to guide cartridges at a point at which they are transferred sidewise into the magazine, a reciprocating cartridge-feed plunger, and a rotary driving element for actuating the plunger.

11. In a machine for filling gun magazines of the character described, the combination with a revoluble magazine pan, means for alternately feeding cartridges sidewi'se into the magazine and rotating the pan, said means comprising two independently-acting devices and a common operating mechanism for driving both of said devices, a hopper having an outlet adapted to guide cartridges at a point at which they are transferred sidewise into the magazine, a reciprocating cartridge-feeding plunger, and a rotary driving element for actuating the plunger.

12. Ina machine for filling gun magazines of the character described,the combination with a revoluble magazine pan, means for alternately feeding cartridges sidewise into the magazine and rotating the pan, said means comprising two independently-acting devices anda common operating mechanism for driving both of said devices, a hopper having an outlet adapted to guide cartridges at a point at which they are transferred sidewise into the magazine, a reciprocating cartridge-feed plunger, and a rotary driving element for actuating the plunger, said plunger being provided with a lifting attachment that operates during the feeding stroke of the "plunger, to relieve the bottom cartridge in the hopper of the weight of the other and superimposed cartridges and keeps the cartridges free in said'hopper.

13. In machine for filling gun magazines of the character described, the combination with a revoluble magazine pan, means for alternately feeding cartridges sidewise into the magazine and rotating the pan, said means comprising two independently-acting devices and a common operat ing mechanism for driving both of said devices, ahopper having an outlet adapted to guide cartridges at a point at which they are transferred sidewise into the magazine, a reciprocating cartridge-feed plunger and a rotary driving element for actuating the plunger, and a spring device for exerting endwise pressure against each cartridge as it falls in front ofthe feed plunger.

14. In a machine for filling gun magazines of the cl'iaracter described, the combination with a rev'oluble magazine pan, means for alternately feeding cartridges sidewise into the magazine, and rotating the pan, said means comprising two independentlyacting devices and a common operating mechanism for driving both of said devices, a hopper having an outlet adapted to guide cartridges at a point at which they are transferred sidewise into the magazine, a reciprocating cartridge-feed plunger and a rotary driving element for actuating the plunger, and an oscillating magazine-feed pawl geared to said crank and directly engaging the pan and adapted to intermittently rotate said pan in the c0unter-clockwise direction, said pawl being timed to operate during the return stroke of the cartridge'feed plunger.

15. In a machine for filling gun magazines of the character described, the combination with a revoluble magazine pan, means for alternately feeding cartridges sidewise into the magazine and rotating the pan, said means comprising two independently-acting devices and a common operating mechanism for driving both of said devices, a hopper having an outlet adapted to guide cartridges at a point at which they are transferred sidewise into the magazine, a reciprocating cartridge-feed plunger and a rotary driving element for actuating the plunger, a stoppawl adapted to directly engage the pan for arresting and holding the same during the cartridge inserting action of the cartridgefeeding device, a spring for holding said pawl up to its work, and a cam-formation 011 the pivot end of said stop-pawl, the arrangement being such that when the stop-pawl is turned over or disengaged, from the magawith a revolulole magazine pan, of means for alternately feeding cartridges sidewise into the magazine and rotating the pan, said means comprising two independently-acting devices and a common operating mechanism therefor, a stop-pawl adapted to directly engage the pan for arresting the same during the cartridge inserting action of the cartridge feed device, an adjustable spinde on which the stop-pawl is mounted, and a magazine catch or retaining device carried by said spindle, the arrangement providing for the adaptation of the machine to accommodate the magazines of different cartridge capacities.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ARTHUR SADLER, V GERTRUDE N. HooKHAM.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. 0. 

